WEST BOUNTIFUL — A man is sedated and in critical condition after what firefighters are calling a “fluke accident,” which happend on Monday afternoon.

The 60-year-old man was cutting holes in a 50-gallon drum with an acetylene torch to make handles in it when the drum exploded, said South Davis Metro Fire Agency Deputy Chief Jeff Bassett.

A piece of the drum hit the man in the head, critically injuring him, Bassett said.

“There had to be some type of unknown residue in the drum to cause the explosion, Bassett said.

Because doctors have the man sedated, officials haven’t been able to question him.

The man was working in a shop in back of his home at 535 N. 660 West when the accident occurred, at 2:15 p.m. Family members heard the explosion and rushed to the man’s aid. No one else was hurt. He was flown to Intermountain Medical Center.

Investigators are hoping the man’s condition improves enough they can question him.

“It was just a fluke accident, out of the ordinary,” Bassett said. “It was very unfortunate.”